Posted by bruinmd on January 16, 2009 at 16:55:44:In Reply to: Z Palatopalsty posted by silvergirl on December 18, 2008 at 13:16:16:
Silvergirl,
I would not put your hopes in the Z palatoplasty. The literature
just doesn't support the benefit given the increased risk and
morbidity of the procedure. I have seen the abstracts for the
procedure in the medical literature. There are not many studies
looking at that procedure. But the one I read completely (not
just the abstract) was a total sham. They took patients who
failed traditional UP3 and then operated on them using the Z
pharyngoplasty technique. However, they also did
radiofrequency to the tongue base as well. So that when they
compared them to before surgery- they did better as a group.
However, the results are completely biased because they also
did the radiofrequency. In my opinion, the article was deceptive
and does not support the validity of the technique.The bottom line is that for the majority of us, soft tissue surgery
does not work long term. Many of us had temporary
improvement only to relapse quickly.Soft tissue surgery makes ENT surgeons wealthy but it does not
make US better. I would strongly advise people considering soft
tissue surgery- consider going straight to MMA. Soft tissue
surgery can predispose to complications following MMA- such
as pharyngeal insufficiency. Even for well known surgeons who
do soft tissue surgery- it is still over-prescribed. Think about
how much money a surgeon charges for these procedures out of
network. They have a big incentive to keep doing the surgery
even in the face of limited benefits. Eliminating these surgeries
from their repetoires would cut out 60% of their income
(estimating).And to prove my point- I would love to see 10 people on this
entire website who have had long term success from soft tissue
surgery.Regards